Kobe Bryant Pushing Dwight Howard to Be More of an A-Hole

Kobe Bryant’s mentorship of Dwight Howard extends to lessons of being a jerk on the court. Bryant certainly mastered it, and he wants Howard to play with more of an edge. Per ESPN and the LA Times: “Magic was like that. You saw Magic barking at guys. He was the point guard, the general, so you saw him yelling instructions a lot. And he’s extremely competitive. But he still played the game with a smile on his face.’ Just like Shaquille O’Neal, right? ‘No. They’re different,’ Bryant said. ‘Shaq was a goofball. But Shaq was a big a——. I was a little a——. It worked well. Dwight has a lot of that in him. He just needs to bring it out and make guys pay every single day.’ […] Bryant made it clear that he appreciates Howard’s edge. In fact, it’s something he wants Howard to further develop on the court. ‘You have to have a little bit of that in you,” Bryant said. ‘Dwight, to be a three-time defensive player of the year, you have to have a little of that dog in you. It’s there, it’s just a matter of him digging deep and pulling it out. It’s just a matter of him having it become habit.’ And how does Howard make that habit? ‘Just by him observing how I practice and how I play,’ Bryant said. ‘It’s just making guys uncomfortable. It is what it is. If you want to get to the next level, you’re going to have to go out there and a guy’s guarding you in practice, you’re going to have to punish him and send him a message. Make the guy who’s guarding him think about if he wants to play in the NBA anymore.'”